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View Poll Results: Do you think the U.S. was intended to be a Christian Nation?

Re: Do you think this country was founded upon Christianity?

Originally Posted by FluffyNinja

Your hyperlink goes to the case :Reynolds vs. the US . This was the Supreme Court decision which basically said that a person's religious practices could not be used as a defense for violating established laws. The basis of this case was a Utah Mormon charged with bigamy. I don't even see how this relates to your assertion regarding the treaty nor how the quote you've pasted below the hyperlink even relates to the case which you've cited? Perhaps I am missing something? Or maybe it's just getting late.

Dude now you are being ridiculous, do you know nothing about evidence and case law? It does not matter what the case was about but how the information is determined.

My claim as I just said is not about the Tripoli treaty. You seem stuck on just that one piece of evidence. What you are missing is that the separation of church and state is a known legal fact historically and today. The Reynolds vs the US proves that fact by case law. In order for you to win this debate you would have to prove the entire history of the US to be false regarding the legal powers of the 1st Amendment. You would have to rewrite history books and to do that you would have to convince historians that everything they know about the 1st Amendment is wrong. You would have to change the official position on separation of church and state.

It just occurred to me that perhaps you have a entirely errant definition of what separation of church and state means.

The establishment clause arose during James Madison's efforts to have the constitution ratified. Virginia had disestablished the gentry-supported Church of England during and after the American Revolution. This left the Baptists in a position of political influence. Col. Thomas Barber, an opponent of the constitution in Madison's home of Orange County, Virginia, began a campaign for election to the state ratifying convention. He garnered support among the local Baptists by warning them that the constitution had no safeguard against creating a new national church. To head off Barber's challenge, Madison met with influential Baptist preacher John Leland and promised that, in exchange for Leland's support of ratification, he would sponsor several amendments that were ultimately combined into the First Amendment. The Establishment Clause was established mainly as a consensus among all of the religious groups in America during 1787, to prevent one religion from having too much influence.

Re: Do you think this country was founded upon Christianity?

I think North American settlers in large part came here in search of the freedom live lives of Christianity while fleeing Pharisaical religion calling itself Christianity. Because of this the prominent influence of Christianity on the culture is seen in the historical record of the founding of the nation.

As it relates to the foundation of America, the freedom to live out our lives as we desire is enshrined in our founding documents including the freedom to identify with Christianity both privately and publicly and if we wish, the right to influence the culture and government policy in keeping with Christian values limited however to not FORCING others to become Christians. Sharing one's own Christianity as an exercise of free speech, practicing aspects of Christianity in public including with other Christians, advocating laws that are keeping with Christian values and facilitating and participating in Christian cultural recognitions in the public square is not FORCING others to become Christians.

Having opinions all over the map is a good sign of a person capable of autonomous thinking. Felix -2011

Re: Do you think this country was founded upon Christianity?

Originally Posted by FluffyNinja

All of this is fine and good, but does not detract from the FACT that there is NO constitutional basis nor official, legal, FEDERAL document which upholds a strict policy of Separation of Church and State and there never has been.

The fact that the Federal Govt. would include the mention of God (with a capital "G") in it's legal draftings, such as the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, seems to make this painstakingly obvious......at least to those without blinders on. I'm not saying that this is either "right" or "good"; I'm just saying............that's the way it is......period.

What about the conus, "respect no establishment of religion" [para phrase]?

Re: Do you think this country was founded upon Christianity?

Originally Posted by LiberalAvenger

What about the conus, "respect no establishment of religion" [para phrase]?

The US House of Representatives together with the US Senate may not pass a law(s) establishing an official Church(es) of America. At the same time the government may not restrict Americans from practicing their faith(s), which I believe applies to doing so in public since if its private how would the government even know? I also believe this includes in expressions of faith that might included things government related or they themselves would not have included prayers to God, Scripture references, etc. in official government documents and meetings.

Having opinions all over the map is a good sign of a person capable of autonomous thinking. Felix -2011